This invention relates to the field of beverages such as carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-drink beverages and powdered soft drinks. More specifically, it relates to a method for improving the taste profile of these beverages when sweetened with aspartame.
Historically, the key determining factor for proper selection of caramel color is the net ionic charge of the caramel color at the pH of the product. Beverages such as carbonated cola soft drinks typically contain caramel color manufactured using sulfite and ammonia as reactants. In the cola soft drinks, these caramel colors carry a net negative ionic charge. These caramel colors are commonly known as beverage caramels. In applications where the caramel color will come into contact with proteins as in beer and meat products, a positively-charged caramel color is required. The article "Characterization and Specifications of Caramel Colours: An Overview", D. V. Myers and J. C. Howell, Food Chem. Toxic., Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 359-363 (1992) details the types of caramels conventionally used with foods.
Aspartame is a high potency sweetening ingredient used in the vast majority of sugar-free soft drinks sold in the United States, as well as many other ready-to-drink beverages and powdered soft drinks. The use of aspartame would be even greater, with new markets opening worldwide, and in blends with sucrose and high fructose corn syrup ("HFCS") but for some limitations. While aspartame clearly tastes more like sugar than other high potency sweeteners currently marketed, some consumers perceive a taste difference from sucrose-sweetened beverages. It is felt by some that this limits the acceptance of beverages containing aspartame for marketing to consumers who desire the taste they recognize from sugar or HFCS sweetened beverages.
As both caramel color and aspartame are used in virtually all sugar-free cola-type soft drinks sold in the United States, there have been many attempts to improve the functionality of both caramel color and aspartame for sugar-free soft drinks. For example, double strength caramel (which is negatively charged) was developed to provide necessary color concentration with very minimal calorie contribution. Other efforts have focused on combining the components prior to addition to the soft drink. Claimed benefits have been improved dissolution rate in the soft drink. For examples of such improvements, see Great Britain Patent No. 2104369B and U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,876. In these patents, no caramels are excluded from potential use, but the preferred caramels are clearly negatively charged caramel.
A product which allows more flexible use of aspartame while improving the taste profile of the beverage is desirable. Further, such a product which does not add any ingredients unfamiliar to consumers or bottlers is of special interest. This invention provides such an improved product.